Six brave members of the Republic of China Mountain Rescue Association spent seventy-two days enduring dense forest thickets, brambles, and venomous insect attacks to successfully complete the exploration of Taiwan’s most challenging mid-to-low-altitude mountain ranges — the Coastal Range and the Alishan Mountain Range. On foot, they mapped out emergency shelters, communication points, and rescue sites along the route, and shot an on-site mountaineering safety education video. On the sixteenth day, they arrived at their final destination, Qishan, where they were met with enthusiastic cheers.
The brave trekking team, composed of five men and one woman — leader Ke Zheng-min, project executive secretary Liu ?-yao, and team members Chen Xiu-zhen, Qiu Yao-tang, Zhou Ming-cang, and Yao Xian-liang — began their journey on March 6th this year from Huadong Mountain in Shoufeng Township, Hualien County, following the Coastal Range. They reached Shitou Mountain in Taitung County on April 11th. On April 16th, they set off again from Guizi Mountain in Shuili Township, Nantou County, to traverse the Alishan Mountain Range, arriving yesterday at Dashan in Qishan Town, Kaohsiung County. They were given a hero’s welcome at the Qishan Living Culture Park.
The Coastal Range and Alishan Range: The Toughest to Traverse
After completing the exploration of the two mountain ranges, the team found that the official maps differed significantly from the actual terrain they encountered. Liu ?-yao explained that many official maps are based on aerial photography, which can lead to inaccuracies. Their detailed records will be highly beneficial for future rescue and mountaineering information. He also mentioned that they discovered several unidentified species of snakes during the trek, photographing them all for comparison with field guides.
"The ridgelines are complex, with no established rules of experience to follow," said Ke Zheng-min. The Coastal Range features misaligned summits with slender, steep ridges that plunge sharply. Despite years of high-altitude mountaineering, the team was still left stunned by the Coastal Range’s rugged terrain. What appear to be clear ridgelines often turn out to be the wrong ones, leaving them disoriented. Peaks might look within reach but prove incredibly difficult to climb.
Even Experts Are Daunted by the Treacherous Terrain
He added that from the start of the journey, they faced daily attacks from venomous insects and mosquitoes, causing unbearable itching at night. Coupled with the erratic and unpredictable weather of the eastern Coastal Range, their rain gear became their closest companion. Thorny grasses and vines were abundant, resulting in high wear and tear on their rain pants. To increase protection, the team even cut their rain pants shorter and layered them over their existing ones to better resist punctures.
Tian Zhi-cheng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Agriculture’s Forestry Bureau, stated that since 2006, the bureau has enlisted expert mountaineers to plan treks across five major mountain ranges — including the Central Mountain Range, Yushan Mountain Range, Snow Mountain Range, Coastal Range, and Alishan Range. Along the way, they recorded water sources, emergency shelters, communication points, rescue sites, and filmed the expeditions. This information is now publicly available on the Forestry Bureau’s Taiwan Mountain Adventure website for hikers’ reference.
Zhang Li-xun / Reported from Kaohsiung County
Six brave members of the Republic of China Mountain Rescue Association spent seventy-two days enduring dense forest thickets, brambles, and venomous insect attacks to successfully complete the exploration of Taiwan’s most challenging mid-to-low-altitude mountain ranges — the Coastal Range and the Alishan Mountain Range. On foot, they mapped out emergency shelters, communication points, and rescue sites along the route, and shot an on-site mountaineering safety education video. On the sixteenth day, they arrived at their final destination, Qishan, where they were met with enthusiastic cheers.
The brave trekking team, composed of five men and one woman — leader Ke Zheng-min, project executive secretary Liu ?-yao, and team members Chen Xiu-zhen, Qiu Yao-tang, Zhou Ming-cang, and Yao Xian-liang — began their journey on March 6th this year from Huadong Mountain in Shoufeng Township, Hualien County, following the Coastal Range. They reached Shitou Mountain in Taitung County on April 11th. On April 16th, they set off again from Guizi Mountain in Shuili Township, Nantou County, to traverse the Alishan Mountain Range, arriving yesterday at Dashan in Qishan Town, Kaohsiung County. They were given a hero’s welcome at the Qishan Living Culture Park.
The Coastal Range and Alishan Range: The Toughest to Traverse
After completing the exploration of the two mountain ranges, the team found that the official maps differed significantly from the actual terrain they encountered. Liu ?-yao explained that many official maps are based on aerial photography, which can lead to inaccuracies. Their detailed records will be highly beneficial for future rescue and mountaineering information. He also mentioned that they discovered several unidentified species of snakes during the trek, photographing them all for comparison with field guides.
"The ridgelines are complex, with no established rules of experience to follow," said Ke Zheng-min. The Coastal Range features misaligned summits with slender, steep ridges that plunge sharply. Despite years of high-altitude mountaineering, the team was still left stunned by the Coastal Range’s rugged terrain. What appear to be clear ridgelines often turn out to be the wrong ones, leaving them disoriented. Peaks might look within reach but prove incredibly difficult to climb.
Even Experts Are Daunted by the Treacherous Terrain
He added that from the start of the journey, they faced daily attacks from venomous insects and mosquitoes, causing unbearable itching at night. Coupled with the erratic and unpredictable weather of the eastern Coastal Range, their rain gear became their closest companion. Thorny grasses and vines were abundant, resulting in high wear and tear on their rain pants. To increase protection, the team even cut their rain pants shorter and layered them over their existing ones to better resist punctures.
Tian Zhi-cheng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Agriculture’s Forestry Bureau, stated that since 2006, the bureau has enlisted expert mountaineers to plan treks across five major mountain ranges — including the Central Mountain Range, Yushan Mountain Range, Snow Mountain Range, Coastal Range, and Alishan Range. Along the way, they recorded water sources, emergency shelters, communication points, rescue sites, and filmed the expeditions. This information is now publicly available on the Forestry Bureau’s Taiwan Mountain Adventure website for hikers’ reference.
Zhang Li-xun / Reported from Kaohsiung County
Six brave members of the Republic of China Mountain Rescue Association spent seventy-two days enduring dense forest thickets, brambles, and venomous insect attacks to successfully complete the exploration of Taiwan’s most challenging mid-to-low-altitude mountain ranges — the Coastal Range and the Alishan Mountain Range. On foot, they mapped out emergency shelters, communication points, and rescue sites along the route, and shot an on-site mountaineering safety education video. On the sixteenth day, they arrived at their final destination, Qishan, where they were met with enthusiastic cheers.
The brave trekking team, composed of five men and one woman — leader Ke Zheng-min, project executive secretary Liu ?-yao, and team members Chen Xiu-zhen, Qiu Yao-tang, Zhou Ming-cang, and Yao Xian-liang — began their journey on March 6th this year from Huadong Mountain in Shoufeng Township, Hualien County, following the Coastal Range. They reached Shitou Mountain in Taitung County on April 11th. On April 16th, they set off again from Guizi Mountain in Shuili Township, Nantou County, to traverse the Alishan Mountain Range, arriving yesterday at Dashan in Qishan Town, Kaohsiung County. They were given a hero’s welcome at the Qishan Living Culture Park.
The Coastal Range and Alishan Range: The Toughest to Traverse
After completing the exploration of the two mountain ranges, the team found that the official maps differed significantly from the actual terrain they encountered. Liu ?-yao explained that many official maps are based on aerial photography, which can lead to inaccuracies. Their detailed records will be highly beneficial for future rescue and mountaineering information. He also mentioned that they discovered several unidentified species of snakes during the trek, photographing them all for comparison with field guides.
"The ridgelines are complex, with no established rules of experience to follow," said Ke Zheng-min. The Coastal Range features misaligned summits with slender, steep ridges that plunge sharply. Despite years of high-altitude mountaineering, the team was still left stunned by the Coastal Range’s rugged terrain. What appear to be clear ridgelines often turn out to be the wrong ones, leaving them disoriented. Peaks might look within reach but prove incredibly difficult to climb.
Even Experts Are Daunted by the Treacherous Terrain
He added that from the start of the journey, they faced daily attacks from venomous insects and mosquitoes, causing unbearable itching at night. Coupled with the erratic and unpredictable weather of the eastern Coastal Range, their rain gear became their closest companion. Thorny grasses and vines were abundant, resulting in high wear and tear on their rain pants. To increase protection, the team even cut their rain pants shorter and layered them over their existing ones to better resist punctures.
Tian Zhi-cheng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Agriculture’s Forestry Bureau, stated that since 2006, the bureau has enlisted expert mountaineers to plan treks across five major mountain ranges — including the Central Mountain Range, Yushan Mountain Range, Snow Mountain Range, Coastal Range, and Alishan Range. Along the way, they recorded water sources, emergency shelters, communication points, rescue sites, and filmed the expeditions. This information is now publicly available on the Forestry Bureau’s Taiwan Mountain Adventure website for hikers’ reference.